Donna Elkins

My passion for education and law motivated me to pursue an AS degree in Pre-Law and Criminal Justice and a BA in English.  I worked full-time, while pursuing my degree, in law enforcement.  My experience working with youth began there as the Juvenile Court liaison for our department as well as working in Investigations as part of the Juvenile Diversion Program.  After graduating from Towson University in Maryland, I returned to the San Diego area and continued working in Communications as a Police Dispatcher.  My husband and I raised our 6 children in a rural area on a small farm before moving to Montrose almost 6 years ago.  In San Diego I worked with youth as a 4-H leader, substitute elementary school teacher and foster/adopt parent.  I was also a Resource Parent Trainer with the Grossmont College Kinship Care Education Program. Our 2 youngest children were able to attend public charter schools for several years until we moved to Montrose, where they completed there last year(s) of high school.  Having utilized all types of schooling for our 6 children to address their individual needs, I was able to appreciate and now advocate for the importance of those choices in allowing the individual to achieve their goals and become valued contributors to their communities.